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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. last — final
  5. last — finally
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. field — for sport
  10. club — for dancing
  11. rule — government
  12. press — newspapers
  13. field — a subject
  14. rule — a law
  15. club — for golf
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. field — farmland
  18. club — a group
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. press — a publisher
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. press — to push
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. last — to go on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com